


Art and Coffee

by Kris_97



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Human, Amity has anxiety, F/F, Gen, Luz Noceda has ADHD, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, We gon learn about art history you better believe it, but in the angry kind of way, coffeeshop and college au, like there are moments but it'll be awhile for realizations, made rating T due to college shenanigans, this is soft guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27960632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kris_97/pseuds/Kris_97
Summary: It's sophomore year at Hexside University for Amity. Studying art history against her parents' wishes, she picks up a job at the campus coffeeshop, Hexbucks, her freshman year to make some money. It was a great gig until she changed her schedule, and was stuck on weekday nights with the worst customer she's ever had to deal with. The two stay strangers, for the most part, until second semester rolls around. Suddenly, Amity sees the brown-haired girl in her art seminar, and the two find themselves spending more and more time together.Café and College AU!
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 24
Kudos: 132





	1. Closing Time

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! Basically this is a rewrite of a story I started a few months ago because I wanted Amity to be an ARTH major. I will be adding random references and artists and such but if you want the sources feel free to reach out! I hope you enjoy and maybe learn some art knowledge (or how to be a barista) on the way ;)

Flaxen-colored walls reflect the dim glow of the various hanging green lights that envelope the space. The dark tone of the evening outside the window, paired with the black tables, give a sort of nostalgic comfort to those who come in. These feelings are only proved further when matched with the smells of hot coffee and baked goods, along the low sound of indie music playing in the background. The chime on the door rings:

“Have a good night, you two! Thanks for stopping in!” Amity proclaims happily to the young couple walking out of the cafe, smiles on their faces. She pauses her wipe-down of the bar to re-tye her mint-green hair, which has apparently gotten too unruly for her in the past few hours. She sighs, contently, taking in the silence beyond the quiet murmur of Fleet Foxes playing overhead.

It was a pretty slow night at Hexbux, the campus-run coffeeshop. This was normal for a Wednesday when it wasn’t midterms or finals time. The barista shudders when she reminds herself of those few weeks, having watched the zombie versions of former students pile up at closing, prying at the locked door for a final espresso shot. Luckily, besides those working on some essays, finals were finished and the routine went back to normal. Students still had work to do, but being the second to last week before Hexside University started their winter break, many kids were breathing a sigh of relief.

Looking at the clock above her on the wall, Amity could see it was almost 9:30. She only has half an hour to kill until she closes up and heads back to her dorm, Clawthorne Hall, which is only a 5 minute walk away. If she still has the energy when she gets back, she’ll skim over her Lajer-Burcharth book again for her presentation on Friday. She wanted to impress the professor with her advanced reading, seeing as junior-year was when most art history majors read this historian’s work.

To say that her parents were disappointed in her decision of a major was...an understatement. Honestly, the greenette doesn’t know how she just got away with a few screaming matches, restricted phone access, and half of her allowance being taken away, but there’s always going to be a sacrifice when it comes to the Blights. Luckily though, having wanted this path since highschool, their youngest daughter already had her debate points prepared to gain their approval. 

Art history, especially when she gets to the more specialized classes, can be extremely rigorous and academic, constantly writing papers and doing research. It was a “smart” subject, and one that would be seen as impressive by philanthropists and the upper classes who “truly appreciated the arts and their worth”. She remembers almost gagging when she uttered that phrase, but she knew that her mother loved upholding the Blight status as aristocrats, so it worked in her favor.

Overall, she reasoned that her love for art history would not bring judgement nor shame to the family. Considering this, her parents gave her an ultimatum: She could study art, but, she must focus on classical art, get an internship by sophomore year, and that after graduation, they will place her in a directorial role at one of their acquaintance’s museums.

The greenette grimaces at the thought of that future, and tries to focus on the circular motions she’s creating with the sanitizing rag in her hand. It’s not an ideal situation, but Amity has already secured an internship helping her advisor, Miss Lillith Clawthorne (of whom her dorm is named after) as a teaching assistant in the Art History department. Plus, she still has to take classes about artistic philosophies and styles from all over the world before she can even tell the professor she wants to focus on classicism. 

Besides that, this is only her second year, so she can still plan a way out of her parent’s decided career path for her, right? This is partially why she has this job at Hexbucks: If she could make a little money on the side, maybe her separation from her family won’t be so bad in the future.

Before she could pull herself further into her thoughts, she hears a crash from the corner of the store, causing her to jump and drop her rag. She glares at the source of the noise, not surprised and even more annoyed when she locks eyes with the wide-eyed, short-haired girl who’s already on her knees and attempting to pick up the shattered remains of a ceramic mug. She rolls her eyes, sighing just loud enough to cause the other girl to tense and pause her actions from where she was on the floor. 

Her big, brown eyes look up at the worker apologetically. “Uh, uhm i-i’m sorry!” the customer exclaims, clearly trying not to lose herself in her anxiety, “I’ll clean it and I promise to pay for the dam-” 

“Don’t worry about it” Amity says, but not in her usual customer service voice, she’s just too tired of this routine, “I’ll clean it in a moment just..go back to your seat.” she says dismissively, already turning away from the still-nervous student in search of the broom.

This girl has been driving Amity crazy ever since she switched to the weeknight shifts at the start of the year. 

It’s now December. 

The pale student only works three nights a week, but every time she’s working this ball of maddening energy happens to be there, sitting in the same exact spot. She doesn’t know why she’s there (school work? Daily routine?) but, she spends the total of the Blight’s shift, usually 5 hours, typing on her laptop. 

She’s also always the last person out before closing time. It drives the mint-green girl up the wall, knowing she can’t even start breaking down the bar or count the register JUST IN CASE this one student decides she wants a muffin or a latte at the last second. They never do, but she knows the one day she starts closing early, something will be needed. Because of this, she refuses to learn the other girl’s name out of spite.

Generally, the brunette is loud and clumsy- constantly breaking something, spilling someone’s drink, or making inhuman noises whenever she comes in with what are probably two of her friends. The girl is always extremely apologetic, though, so the Blight never lets her fury last longer than necessary to get her feelings across. 

Plus, according to Skara who has the shift before hers and is usually the one to take the unknown girl’s order, she makes up like 20% of their shared tips. So, overall, she’s begrudgingly fine with cleaning up after the bumbling idiot as long as she didn’t get in trouble and still got $10 more than she’d expect at the end of the week.

Amity looks back at the clock, 9:40. She walks up to the shattered remains of the cup, noticing that for once, the brunette actually finished her drink before it fell. 

“What happened this time?” she asks in a tired tone similar to before. She refuses to look at the other student, but can sense the repressed anxious energy radiating from her. 

“Uh, well, you see I was typing my essay and I forgot this guy’s name and I was like ‘RAAGH’ trying to find it online but I couldn’t find it ANYWHERE so I finally went back in my notes and what’s in the top corner? Voila! His name! So I got so excited after searching for the past HOUR that I pumped my fist in celebration! But, I realized I bumped into something and, well, you can see what my fist hit... heh.” 

Amity, who swept in silence while waiting for the monologue to finish, finally looks at the tan girl rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. 

_“Oh my God,”_ Amity thinks, her eyes widening for a moment, “ _She’s actually an idiot.”_

Quickly regaining her composure, the barista makes quick work of the trashed mug. She chimes in one more time as she makes her way behind the counter, picking up her discarded rag from earlier: 

“Just be more careful next time. What is that, the 5th mug in 2 months? I don’t know why we don’t make you pay for them.” Looking back at the table, she almost feels guilty as the pixie cut becomes forlorn, her brown eyes downtrodden,

“I know, I really am sorry. I’ll try to be calmer in the future.” Her tone is soft and introspective, and she gives a sincere look towards Amity before returning to her laptop.

“Thanks..” the barista responds quietly after a few moments, then looks back at the clock: 9:45. Well, better start counting the cash, she supposes.

\---

Having worked here for almost a year, the green-haired girl quickly finishes the money counting and the closing requirements of the store. By 9:58, the Blight holds the door keys in her hand, taking off her apron and putting on her light beige scarf and coat as she leaves the back room for the final time that evening. She sighs in annoyance when she notices the computer screen in the corner.

“ _Not again..”_ Amity pinches the bridge of her nose to calm herself before speaking. 

“Hey!” she barks, not too loudly but definitely enough to cause the other girl to squeak in surprise, “the store’s closed for the night. You need to leave so I can lock up.” She finishes her command bluntly. 

“Roger!” the other girl says excitedly, standing and giving the greenette a faux-salute, to which she receives a blank expression in return. 

Unphased, Amity watches as the brunette girl’s unwavering grin continues as she packs her things. Luckily, the student only has her laptop out, so once she shoves it (yes, shoved. Amity doesn’t know how it isn’t broken) into her bag she quickly hops out the main entrance. The barista follows close behind, immediately locking the door as soon as it closes entirely. 

As she does, she hears the voice of her dreaded patron, “Bye Amity! Get home safe! I’ll see you tomorrow, kay?” before hearing footsteps run into the distance. 

Amity doesn’t respond, and instead focuses on getting to her own dorm. One thing lingers on her mind, though: “ _How long has she known my name?”_


	2. A Whirlwind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at how Luz is handling her college life not so well!   
> Cw for drug reference

It’s been a long day for Luz, with Thursdays always being her worst, schedule wise. Besides wanting to complete a double major in Literature and Art history (plus a concentration in art), she had to run all over campus between the two courses. It’s a lot of work, sure, but she couldn’t decide! Why give up all of your passions for just one? Yeah, she might have to work on assignments for hours on end every night, make sure she’s keeping up with her advisors, and make sure her grades stay up enough that they don’t make her drop a subject, but it’ll be totally worth it! 

She anxiously thinks about her slowly dropping GPA. A 3.5 was pretty good, not like she was ever a genius, but then after midterms it went down to 3.45. It wasn’t like she was slacking or anything, just sometimes she was late to her classes or missed an assignment in sacrifice of actually going to sleep on time. Luckily, she was in a class that the professor liked her in, so they let her make up a few pieces of work to go towards her final grade. She knows that this wouldn’t always happen, though, so she needs to figure out her school path before things really start to slip.

This is the brunette’s second year, but that meant the year where you had to give a tentative idea to your advisors about what you’d want to major in. It could be a lot of pressure for some, but Luz’s two advisors, Eda and King, seemed more stressed than she was about her situation. Since she had to start focusing on her workload, she decided to try going to the school cafe a few months back for a fresh place to work, and she’s never regret it.

Having ADHD, the girl was surprised to find that once she sat down in her corner seat and began her work, she could tune out the world for hours. With the smell of coffee, the consistent background noise, and the mutual desire to not be bothered, the brunette found herself losing track of time. And she often did, much to the barista, Amity’s, annoyance. She always got her drink- a large chai tea latte with a pump of vanilla- from the other girl, Skara, so she’s never seen the shop’s closer in full customer service mode. 

And honestly, she’s kind of afraid to. Since the first time she walked in to see the patch of green behind the bar, Luz has made a constant embarrassment of herself and often caused trouble for the girl in the process. 

The barista did try in the beginning, politely reminding the student about the closing time and telling her not to worry when she broke something, but that wore off after about a month. Considering it was usually just the two of them once 9pm rolled around, and she always came back, she assumes that Amity felt like she could relax her hospitable personality around her. 

And Luz, being the kind-hearted person she is, would let her, seeing it as an exchange for her constant misactions in the store. 

It’s not like they ever really had to speak to each other. They’d sometimes exchange words, but it was usually a blunt comment from the greenette or a rambling excuse from the latina. They’ve never even gotten close enough to talk about the school they both go to, no matter how much she wants to.

“ _ I wonder what Amity studies..” _ Luz thinks in passing, zoning out as she walks back home from her final class of the day. The e-girl looking staff member seemed to be around her age, but she’s never seen her in any of her classes. Sure, she's usually late and sits towards the back, but she’d see the students’ faces as they left the room, having to use the same door at the end of class. She’s seen her around campus, usually coming out of the library or one of the main lecture halls, but never somewhere that would give the latina a better clue.

Considering Amity’s attitude, Luz suspects she probably does something serious like calculus or chemistry.

_ “Maybe she’s in ECON”  _ she snickers to herself, remembering how one tried to impress her at a freshmen party by explaining the stock market in full detail. The girl can be rude in private but even she’s not as bad as some of these “business bros” she’s met at various gatherings in the past two years. 

Before she can continue on that line of thought, though, she finds herself outside of her dormitory, “Edalyn Commons”. Luz always found it so cool that she got to live in the dorm named after her advisor. Eda (as she prefers to be called, threatening the poor girls’ life if she ever called her “miss” or by her last name) explained that only long-time professors who have made an “impression” on President Bump over the years get this privilege. 

_ “A ‘good’ impression?” Luz asked her advisor, egging her on. “I never said that. ANYWAY-”  _

Luz smiles after recalling their conversation, swiping her key and entering her double room. Eda was so cool, like if your aunt had a rebellious phase that never really died but then realized she liked reading and found a way to make some money from it.

Opening her door, she peers into the small bedroom. Like any dorm, when she first arrived it was pale and boxy, filled only with the basic 2 beds, closets, and desks. With that forethought, Luz decided to go all out in decorating the space in her second year. Luckily, her roommate from freshman year, Willow, was fully on board. Now, when someone enters their room they are immediately surrounded by Azura posters (Luz’s passion) and an array of potted plants (Willow’s passion). She never ceases to smile when she sees the glitter and bright pinks and greens surrounding her. 

“Hey, Luz!” the girl hears from the opposite end of the small room. On the bed furthest from the door, the student turns to see her pale roommate sitting on her comforter with a book showing various plant seeds on the cover and a pot of dirt in her left hand. 

“Hi, Willow!” she greets excitedly, hopping over and hugging her roommate who giggles at the contact. “Whatcha doing? Another test coming up?” the latina asks. 

“Nah,” the horticulture major responds, “Just a personal theory. You know Boscha, right?” Hearing the groan at the mention of the infamous rugby captain, Willow takes that as a yes and continues, “Well, she handed me a few seeds she said she ‘found’ around her dorm room, and I’m just trying to figure out what they could be.”

Luz and her roommate stare inquisitively at the dirt-filled container, where the asian girl planted a few to see how they would sprout. “Wait, isn’t Boscha like, the main dealer on campus?” the pixie cut girl asks tentatively.

“Uh, I guess so but what does that have to do wi-” Willow stops and stares at the planted seedlings. Luz snorts, “Oh my god! Willow you should know what those seeds look like!” instead of replying, the black haired student glances up to her laughing roommate with a look of horror,

“I’m a criminal, Luz…” They both pause in seriousness but quickly break down into a laughing fit. 

After a few moments, the bespectacled girl calms down “Ugh, okay so I have to get rid of these, then. Wanna come watch their funeral as I dump the dirt outside?”

“Yeah, why not? I’ll sing a mourning song to really get the point across.” 

“Okay,” Willow says, getting up off her bed and checking her phone, “lemme just get my stuff for dinner-”

“Dinner?” Luz questions, also taking out her phone to check the time, “OH SHOOT SORRY WILLOW I HAVE TO GET THE CAFE BYE!” By the time the asian girl lifts her head, she only sees their bedroom door swinging from the force the brunette used to open it. She sighs with a lopsided smile and texts their mutual friend, Gus.

  * _W: “ Hey Gus, Luz just went to the cafe to work, wanna join her with me?”_


  * G: “Hell yeah! I have a huge sociology project due so the cafe is the perfect place to stalk other humans.”


  * G: *study


  * “You do realize that calling them ‘humans’ instead of ‘people’ is still creepy, right?


  * “Yeah yeah i’ll meet you there in like 20 mins so we can do some human watching together with Luz, okay?”


  * “(y)”



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Glad to see ya :)  
> Latter part might be based off personal experience but the idea of it happening with Willow and Luz is so funny to me lol. 
> 
> -Don't do drugs, kids.
> 
> Also I wanna say that I went to a liberal arts college in the northern US so while all the things I mention (about majors, how the college is run, the books used, etc.) are true to me, they might be VERY different than what you are experiencing/ have had experienced at your own universities. 
> 
> Otherwise I hope you liked it! I should have some more chapters put out by the end of Feb but feel free to leave a message or a kudos!


	3. Reflections pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity reflects on how she ended up where she is and gets invited to a party. Luz and the gang goof off (kind of) in the cafe.

Classical art, to some people (especially the types of folks the Blights hung around), is seen as the pinnacle of artistic talent compared to anything else in the world. It’s considered a bourgeois style, with all of the historical, artistic, and cultural references the old artists used to convey a scene or tell a story in one image. To pinpoint the historical inspiration for a work or the reason they chose to depict a greek hero was a great way to impress the often unimpressed aristocracy. So, if Amity could entertain guests with tales of Jaqcues-Louis David’s love life while he painted the  _ Sabine Women _ , her parents would be more than pleased with her choice.

She wouldn’t mind gallery work, but to be thrown in a directorial position, especially at such a young age, was terrifying to her. Especially at a museum she’s never even heard of before, how else are people supposed to see her besides as just another trust fund kid who got special treatment? Honestly, she really just wants to become a professor; to write books on her research assignments and to peer review other student’s work. What can she say? She loved academia.

She didn’t mind the need for her to study classicism- you could learn a lot by how compact it was with information, but it was confusing beyond all else. The word ‘classicist’ meant something  _ slightly _ different than having something ‘classical’. Then there were the terms ‘classicism’ versus “neo-’ classicism”, of which the latter is meant to harken back to the “original” style. 

Thing is, nobody really knows when that style began or ended. Even then, how could Nicholas Poussin from the 17th century and Eugene Delacroix of the 19th century, both say they’re classicists? What does that even mean at the point Delacroix is saying it? Miss Clawthorne has attempted to explain it to Amity in the past, but even she got confused after looking at their definitions for too long. For a style so focused on rationality, it’s history and art make no sense to the young Blight.

The pale student personally enjoyed abstract and fantastical art from artists like Heiryonymus Bosch or John Bauer. They were confusing but in a way that she wanted to understand and learn more about them. It may also be partially because they remind her of her favorite fantasy book: Azura the Good Witch. But her parents would never allow her to pursue this career if she cared for such “mediocre” or “irrational” artists. Although, thanks to Miss Clawthorne, the greenette would be her teaching assistant for an “Art of the Northern Renaissance” seminar next semester. In that course, she would be able to learn more about Bosch and his theories while still proving her internship to her parents. For once, Amity found a happy place between pleasing her family and studying an artist she truly wants to.

After submitting her assignments for next week in advance, the greenette starts getting ready for her last shift of the week at the cafe. While doing her class work, the girl keeps her hair down to avoid a tension headache, but she quickly ties it into its usual half ponytail. She’s put her hair in this style since childhood, and even if her hair now reaches to her collar bone, it still does it’s job of keeping it out of her face. 

She stares at the brown roots growing in and frowns, remembering the weekends where she was forced into the salon chair by her mother, who wanted it blonde instead of her father’s “displeasing” brown. Amity let her mother do this throughout highschool, the arguments never being worth it since she would be too stubborn to even let her control her hair. 

Now in college, she dyed the blonde to a green shade similar to her favorite character from her childhood book, Azura. The Blights never came to any college events, with the excuse of their work, so the student felt pretty secure in none of them finding out what she’d done. Besides, she can always re-dye it if they ever chose to stop by.

Forgetting her family woes, Amity focuses on changing into work appropriate attire. She puts on her work shoes, which look more like rubber boots due to the nature of her job and the additional factor of a very clumsy customer. She then puts on a thin, black turtleneck and pairs it with a pair of maroon skinny jeans. The holiday season is coming up, so the Blight opts for her red apron instead of the usual green. She shoves the garment in her bag, grabs a granola bar to snack on, and heads out of her dorm room.

\---

It was a normal day, with Amity entering the shop and noticing the computer screen in the corner with annoyance. She waves to Skara, before going to the back to clock in. She comes out as the shorter barista hands a patron their drink before she signs off the register and prepares to leave for the evening. Before she does, though, she walks up to the Blight to ask how she’s been, not having had the time to see each other outside of work. 

After some chatting, Skara mentions a sports party Amelia is throwing at her house tomorrow night. 

“You should totally come!!” the shorter girl exclaims, pushing her animated face up to Amity’s. 

Fighting the urge to grimace, the barista turns away from the excited girl in front of her, about to reject the offer, but is cut off by the rugby player,

“Pleaassee?? It’s been so long!” She drops her head back dramatically before looking at her with pleading eyes. 

The Blight sighs in defeat. She can’t win when her ex-teammate/friend/coworker gives her her infamous puppy dog eyes. 

“I’ll...i’ll think about it” she responds quietly and hears Skara gasp in excitement, “Text me the details, in case I do end up wanting to go.” The barista finds herself wrapped in a quick but tight hug by the smaller girl.

“Eee it’ll be so great if you do!” She does a small dance in excitement before looking at her phone. Amity watches her face go from overjoyed to being filled with dread.

“Practice starts in 10 minutes, oh shoot Boscha’s gonna kill me!” her coworker quickly speeds out the front door to escape the rugby captain’s wrath. As she opens the shop doors she shouts,

“I’ll text ya later, okay!?” but before the Blight can respond, she’s gone.

Shaking her head at how lively that girl can be, she starts looking over any tasks she may have to do behind the bar.

_ “Maybe I should go? Skara won’t let me use homework as an excuse.. _ ” Mulling over ideas to get out of tomorrow’s plans, Amity signs into the register up front.

She was never a fan of parties, especially the ones the sports teams put on. The sweat, smell of cheap beer, the fact that her “friends” would get drunk and ditch her to make out with random dudes in the bathroom- yeah, they weren’t her scene. 

What she loves is going to the day events around campus, buying clothes off the lawn from other students or taking a trip to the Bonesborough Museum with nothing but some headphones and a sketchpad. 

Then, a realization hits Amity:

_ “When was the last time I even went out?”  _

She can’t even measure how long it's been since she’s last seen the group of rugby girls.

Guilt creeps up in her mind, knowing she had been avoiding Boscha and the rest around campus to focus on work. Finals are over now, though, so she can only assume they think she’s ditched them. Sadly, even if they weren’t all that close, she considers them as close to friends as she’ll get at this point in her life. Not wanting her mood to bring her down, she finishes her work at the register and shifts into barista-mode. 

\---

An hour or so passes with only a few customers, so the barista decides to re-read her old Azura novel as she reminded herself of it earlier. She always kept her childhood copy in her bag for sentimental reasons, and she’s happy to flex its binding once again. It is a children’s book, so the writing isn’t nearly as strong as she thought it was when she was younger, but the nostalgic joy it gives her is something she really needs.

She loves college- being away from her parents, studying things that interest her, the feigned idea that she was a functioning, responsible adult, etc.- it all appeals to her. Issue is, the work and stress of keeping up appearances has really gotten to her this past semester. Her mom had called 3 times this past week, which is something she does often to serve as a reminder to Amity that she had to earn their approval. So, why not distract herself during this moment of down time with a story of a green-haired witch who befriends her enemies?

No, she does not realize the irony at play here.

Apparently getting lost in the story, she doesn’t notice the figure walking up to her. She suddenly hears a gasp from the other side of the counter, 

“YOU read AZURA?!” 

She can already feel the headache come on as she realizes the owner of the loud voice. Amity shuts the book in annoyance, but does a double take after registering the girl’s question. 

Looking at the brunette, who’s shining brighter with joy than she’s ever seen, the Blight meekly replies,

“Uh, yeah. I’ve read it since I was a kid..”

“Really?!” The other exclaims, “Oh man I never thought i’d see someone, especially someone like you, reading these!” Amity raises her eyebrow. Luz realizes what she said and starts to backtrack,

“Eh, no offense, but you just don’t strike me as the fantasy type.” 

She hears the barista snort, for the first time seeing any semblance of a smile that wasn’t forced during customer interactions. 

“Well,” Amity replies, looking at the book with a fond gaze while thinking over her earlier musings, “maybe there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” 

Luz is silent, not wanting to break the worker out of her moment, especially since she doesn’t know when she’ll see her like this again. She tries to ignore the growing warmth radiating in her chest at the sight.

Finally, she watches the girl snap her attention back to her, “Anyways, did you need something?” The book is placed on the counter and the moment is gone.

\---

With that the brunette asks for a refill, waiting at the edge of the counter to take it directly from the Blight. She says thanks with a smile but receives nothing but a turning away back to the register from the other. Little did she know that the other turned to hide her embarrassment from their previous interaction.

Amity didn’t want the girl to know about her, or her likes and dislikes, or her love for a kid’s book which she should be way too mature for. Now though, knowing that the student also liked Azura, some of her built-up spite against her began to crumble. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to talk to her?

Suddenly, she sees a mobile order pop up on the register’s screen, and she forgets her train of thought on the subject of the girl in the corner.

\---

As Amity prints the receipt for the mobile order, she hears the bell chime at the front entrance. She quickly turns to greet the two students and notices that she’s seen them before with her nemesis. They weren’t bad- pretty nice patrons actually, but they definitely got their friend more excited than when she’s alone. The greenette worker begins her spiel:

“Hi, welcome to Hexbucks! What can I-” She watches the boy, wearing a black and blue polo with jeans, cut her off with a wave. He makes a shushing motion towards her before turning to sneak up on their friend at the corner table. Amity and Willow share a look and the plant student shrugs, not stopping the boy in curiosity at what will happen.

Honestly, the Blight was curious as well. She truly was intrigued by the brunette’s apparent focus when it came to her work. It was almost impressive how she could spend hours on end in this place where there’s usually a patron talking on the phone or a blender going off, but she doesn’t even think the girl heard the door open a few moments ago. Amity watches as Gus takes one or two steps at a time before pausing and calculating his next line of movement. 

After what feels like ages, his back is pressed lightly against the back of the brunette’s chair. Amity notices the seated girl sticking her tongue out in concentration, still none the wiser to the upcoming attack. She almost feels bad for taking her out of the moment, but the tension the boy built up in the past minute took away any remorse she may have had.

All of a sudden, the boy jumps up, gripping the girl’s shoulders, 

“HEY LUZ!”

A quick reaction came in the form of a scream from the brunette and a crash as she pushed herself over in her chair out of surprise. There’s a moment of silence as they all process what happened, but the trio of friends quickly burst into a fit of giggles. The Blight stifles a laugh herself, too caught up in the student’s fall to notice the name her friend called her. 

Gus, still chuckling, goes to help the brunette up as she wipes a tear from her eye. In the moment she opens them, she glances towards the front of the shop where Amity resides, and she sees an odd sight.

The girl was laughing. 

It wasn’t really noticeable, as the greenette hid her smile behind her fist to mimic a cough, but Luz could tell. As they never really interact, to see Amity smile genuinely two times in a day made the warm feeling in her chest grow even stronger. 

_ “We should really talk about Azura, sometime”  _ she thinks fondly.

Sadly, and all too quickly, the laughter dies down and the barista gives her a look of confusion. She realizes a goofy smile overtook her features while staring at the girl and that she should probably acknowledge her friends. 

“Hey, you guys!” she grabs Gus, pulling him down into a chokehold to scruff his hair. Ignoring his protests, she continues “What brings you here?”. 

“Eh,” Willow shrugs, “we didn’t have any big plans for dinner, plus we wanted to hang out with you, so we thought we’d stop by”.

Letting go of the sociology major, Luz jumps in excitement and is happy to pull over another table so they could sit together comfortably. After calming down, the pixie-cut girl warns the other two,

“Okay, but I'm working on a project for Eda, so I don’t think i’ll be much fun…” She looks at the floor with guilt in her expression. Even though she wants to hang out, she’s stretched to her limit in terms of time. 

“Hey, don’t worry about that,” Gus pats her on the back reassuringly, “we’re happy to just hang around. We both brought our work too,” He points to Willow who throws up a peace sign at the mention, “so it'll be more like a study session than a hang out.”

Luz smiles as they all sit down and get comfortable before they all switch into “work mode.” Willow studies various forms of ivy, learning about its uses in nature and in decorating. Gus, on the other hand, seems to be watching Amity very closely, holding the notepad close to him as he goes between looking and writing something down. The barista hasn’t noticed, but Luz is kind of afraid of what’ll happen to him if she does. She chuckles to herself before turning back to her computer screen and typing away once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! This chapter was gonna be 6,000 words plus so I made the decision to cut it in half and i'll post the second half in a few days.   
> So, a lot of this is slice of life, albeit I'm really only using Luz and Amity perspectives with tension/romance thrown in. Also, gods guys some of the stories posted recently have been so intense/upsetting I REALLY just want them to act like normal kids ;0;
> 
> Again, I'm sourcing the ARTH info I use in my google docs so if you want to know of a source or ask for proof i'll happily provide it!
> 
> Let me hear your thoughts! And thank you to those who have been leaving feedback :)


	4. Reflections pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz & co. discuss the mint-haired barista. Said barista later embarrasses herself in front of her enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shrugs* i'm having fun :)

7:00 pm rolls around and the trio decide to take a break. 

“So,” Willow is the first to speak and she turns to her roommate who gulps at the sudden attention, “Have you and the barista gotten any closer yet?” 

The brunette groans while slumping in her chair, “Nope, pretty sure she still hates me.” She puts her hands over her face,

“I broke another cup last night..” she mumbles between her palms. 

“Again?!” Gus asks, a little too loudly as a few fellow patrons and Amity turn in surprise at the sudden noise. Luz only nods in response, which gains some snickers from her two tablemates. Noticing her dejected attitude, Willow pats her back sympathetically,

“Ah c’mon, hate is a strong word.” she ponders what to say next, “Maybe you guys should just talk it out? I wouldn’t like being judged solely on my actions and not my personality.”

Luz snorts, her spirits already lifting, some,

“Yeah it’s easy for you to say when you aren’t the one committing those actions. You know the phrase, ‘Actions speak louder than words”? She only receives an eye roll from the girl in response when Gus decides to join in. 

“Well what about my new phrase: ‘Hey, we’re both 20 and we should be able to have a civil conversation like adults.”

“Ooh, I like it!” Willow says as the two high five.

Luz looks between them, sighing, “Fine, i’ll try talking to her more but don’t be surprised if we all get banned from the café in the process.”

“Oh, please,” her bespectacled friend reassures, “you may be clumsy, but if you could talk me into rooming with you for another year, then I'm sure you’ll win her over.” 

The brunette smiles, “Thanks Will-, wait what’s that supposed to mean?!” and she playfully nudges her at the insult. 

Coming back to the conversation, Luz continues, “Well, I did learn Amity reads Azura.” 

“No way!” Gus exclaims in a whisper, having learned his lesson from before, “That’s like, your favorite book right?” The latina gives a response in the way of a large grin and finger guns,

“That’s right, my dude!” 

“Huh,” Willow begins as the two look at her, “wouldn’t expect her to be into that kind of stuff. Every since I saw her in class reading Plato-” 

“You, what?!” Luz practically jumps from her seat to stare at the shocked horticulture major. 

Not having learned the same lesson Gus was taught before, the brunette realizes what she’s done and looks around, only to lock eyes with the previously mentioned barista who stares into her soul with a cold glare. She gulps, giving a wave and nervous smile as an apology before slumping back into her seat in embarrassment.

“Okay,” Gus starts, picking himself up from the table, “while Luz panics over simple information, I'm gonna get something to eat, you guys want anything?” Luz just raises her cup to him and Willow asks for a matcha latte and a wrap.

As he leaves the table, Willow feels her friend pull her closer. Leaning in as if they’re discussing something illegal, 

“You what?!” she whispers.

“Uh, yeah, we had a theater class together. Have I not mentioned this?” the bespectacled girl asks. 

“You have not” Luz says slowly, gears turning in her mind, “Do you know what her major is?”

“Yeah, she’s doing Art History, like you.”

“Really?!” the brunette asks with enthusiasm but also confusion, “How come I’ve never seen her?”

“Well,” Willow begins, giving the other student a pitying smile- one which the girl knows she’s about to be read for filth with, “Remember when Eda told you that the survey courses were useless and you should leave them until your final year since they’re easy and so you took 200-level courses all year?”

“Yeah, that was.. not the best advice I could’ve taken from her…” Luz admits bashfully, giving a small chuckle at the pain those higher classes put her through.

“Well, like every other student besides you, Amity actually was in those classes.” She gives a motherly glare to Luz who just puts her hands out in defense before continuing, 

“She became kind of notorious for being one of the best students freshman year, including in our theater one.” The black-haired girl muses reflectively, “I think Professor Clawthorne became her ARTH advisor soon after that.”

Knowing the dark haired, pale woman from their passing in the halls, Luz isn’t surprised that she and the greenette had joined together. Unlike Eda, this teacher emphasized focus and tradition, apparently notorious for causing her senior advisees to cry after she critiques their final thesis. The brunette would most likely hate her, but that’s probably why Amity chose her in the first place. 

What’s most shocking is that the barista’s major is Art History. Sure, she seems like the hard-working type and these classes are grueling work-wise, but she would have thought of something more “show-offy” for the girl to want to graduate in. Suddenly, a bulb goes off in the brunette’s brain,

“I should talk to her about art!” 

Gus, who had just returned and is handing Willow her drink, gives her a look of apprehension, “Didn’t you get in a fight with the last kid you tried to talk about art with?” 

Luz folds her arms defiantly, “Well yeah, he said Remedios Varo didn’t know how to draw women! That was like, part of her whole deal to revert the male gaze! If-” she feels a hand on her shoulder where she finds her roommate giving her a soft smile,

“Oh, Luz, neither of us have any idea what you’re talking about.” She hears Gus snort from the opposite end of the table.

Scoffing, she retorts sarcastically, “well neither did he, apparently”. 

While Gus eggs on the pixie-cut girl, Willow penses on her now 2-year roommate. Luz was _so_ smart, and her passion for the arts was admirable. On the other hand, she was kind of an idiot when it came to organization. She hasn’t learned that you can’t pick all the fruits from the tree of opportunity without dropping some or destroying them all. 

_“She’ll have to choose something soon..”_ the plant student thinks with worry. She doesn’t linger on the thought, believing in her friend to figure herself out in time.

Soon enough, the time of 8:30 pm rolls in and Gus takes his leave. Apparently he has a “Human Appreciation” Club, the name of which still creeps out his two female companions. The club was an hour a week where sociology professors would have wine with their students and talk about their favorite facts about human nature. Gus hasn’t missed one, yet he still can’t talk the other two into joining him. Willow, on the other hand, had hit her limit for work today, and was heading home.

“Sorry Luz, I had to go into the lab like 4 times today to check on the hydroponic project we started last week.” the shorter girl says in an apologetic tone. She zips up her bag, throwing the strap over one shoulder and looking back to her roommate.

“Aw, it’s okay! I’ll see you back at the dorm.” Luz gives a smile to her friend before she leaves the café. 

Luz looks around the room for the first time in the past hour, noting that it has once again cleared out, leaving her and the temperamental barista alone. She recalls her conversation with Willow, trying to find an angle on the green-headed girl.

Luz wanted to talk to her, whether it was Azura or art history or anything, really. After today’s interactions she’s only more enamored with the girl, finding her more and more interesting with each day.

Before returning to her work, Luz treats herself and buys a piece of coffee cake to nibble on. Amity stays silent during the interaction, only opening her mouth to ask if the brunette would like her receipt, to which she replies yes. The bubbly customer hops up to the counter and takes the paper from the barista’s hand. 

“Thanks, Amity!” she says happily before turning around to head to her seat. 

“Wait!” the greenette shouts before she can realize. Luz turns around with an inquisitive look on her face. She matches the latina's eyes, gold clashing with brown, 

“How..how do you know my name?” She asks shyly. 

She’s sure someone probably said it in the store or maybe she knows the rugby team o- 

“Oh!” the brunette gives a soft chuckle, “Your uh, name tag..” she says with a humorous smile, pointing to the plastic rectangle attached to the barista’s apron. 

“..Oh.” Amity responds in a whisper.

She feels her face flush red in embarrassment. Luz offers her one last smile before heading back to her seat to leave the barista to her meltdown. 

\------

It had been a few minutes of calm silence, in the brunette's mind, but from behind the bar it was a different story. Amity, top student throughout high school and hopefully university, teacher’s assistant with the notorious Lillith Clawthorne, a Blight, if anything else. 

And she forgot she wore a label with her name on it at a job she’s had for a year.

Of course she had her name tag on! Of course the girl wasn’t trying to find out her name for any secret reason! Why would she even care if she did?! She slams her hand to grip the cool metal of the espresso machine, having the mentioned girl look at her with concern before giving a quick smile when she receives no ill response and goes back to work. The Blight wants to curl into a ball and never look at her stupid smile ever again. 

She picks up her cleaning rag and violently drags it across the chrome surface of the bar. She hopes to get her mind off of her moment of stupidity by going into a cleaning frenzy until the end of the night. 

And, it surprisingly works. Besides that, the openers tomorrow will be shocked by how pristine the café looks due to the girl’s anxiety. She gets so lost in her tasks that she almost runs out the door with her jacket half-on. She only stops when she hears a faint tapping of a keyboard somewhere in the corner of the store. 

Luz only realizes how late it’s gotten when she hears someone clear their throat behind her. Turning around she sees a tired-looking Amity, donning her usual cream colored jacket and hat, holding the key to the cafe in her hands. All the signs that it was closing time. 

“Sorry! Sorry!” She exclaims, jumping up to pack her things before the barista could get a word in. So instead she just watches her, being kind enough to open the door for her to exit. Waiting to hear the turn of the key, Luz speaks up once more, “Have a good night, Amity! I’ll see you next week!” 

A second wave of embarrassment hits the mint-haired girl, her hands shaking as she tries to get the key out of the door’s lock. This was fine, she could get over this. 

“ _Thank Gods I won’t have to see her for another week”_ she thinks as she sighs in relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like how this includes plot info but also none at all lmao. Just wanted to explain how Amity and Luz have never been in the same arth classes and such so far...and also just having banter with friends endeared me a lot. I'm still trying to figure out the writing style especially when it comes to dialogue, so if you have any tips, lmk! Party scenes are comin up~
> 
> Also Remedios Varo was my first art crush she's so cool (and pretty) please look her up!
> 
> As always feel free to comment and I always appreciate kudos! I like to respond but sometimes I forget and get too anxious to go back so apologies
> 
> Stay safe out there!- Kris


	5. Revelry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz is at a frat party..? Amity is also at a frat party?? Can they handle it? (not really!)

It’s Friday night and the friendly trio find themselves crushed into the small shuttle that takes students from campus to neighboring towns. These are where the sports teams and friend groups could rent off-campus housing, and therefore they’re where most of the parties take place. The three were excited, finding themselves getting closer and closer to their stop by the well-named “Rugby House”.

Luz, pumped to go to her first sports party that year, decided to dress up. In Luz fashion, she went with speckled black and green overalls with a black bandeau underneath. She completed the ensemble with a puffy leather jacket, putting some light eyeliner on for a flashy touch. She wasn’t looking to get anyone’s attention, really, but she loved using parties as an excuse to wear some of her weirder outfits that she could play off as “fashion” in the moment. Meanwhile, Willow and Gus dressed more low key, with Willow wearing a yellow and maroon crop top sweater with some mom jeans, while the boy had a white t-shirt, black jacket, and black jeans with symmetrical rips in the knees.

“I can’t believe Skara invited you to Amelia’s party” Willow says to Luz, readjusting her arm uncomfortably from behind another student.

“I know! I mean, I’d consider us friends but I didn’t expect this..” Luz ponders.

“Hey,” Gus shrugs, “always nice to have more bodies at this type of thing, ya know? If the cops come we won’t be as easy to catch.”

The two girls stare incredulously at their companion, knowing he has actively avoided parties for the past year, saying they would taint his “innocent mind”. Waving off his party expertise, the three find themselves getting off the bus and walking down the road. It was about 9pm so the night has already been shrouded in darkness. Luckily, Luz guides them to a house who’s music echoes in the air, leading them to their destination.  
Walking in, it looks exactly as you’d expect:

People. Everywhere.

It was still early on in the night, so nobody was passed out on the floor or crying in the bathroom, but people were still dancing and shouting, alcohol flowing freely through the room. They’re deafened by the loudspeakers, terribly placed by the entrance, but the three escape to the backyard. There are almost as many people outside as were in, but the lack of bass and people grinding into you was a welcomed sight. They all breathe a sigh of relief once they make it.

“Okay,” Luz starts, pulling the other two into a huddle, “I’ll be the sacrifice and go and get our drinks. If I don’t come back in 20 I’ve been trampled to death and I’ll need you to get my body.” The two agree before seeing their mutual friends Viney and Jerbo and move over to them. Luz turns to the backdoor and takes a deep breath before going back in.

It was chaos.

Somehow, in the 5 minutes it took Luz and co to get to the backyard, about 50 more people showed up and the earlier guests were starting to get rowdy. The brunette snakes her way through the crowd, gagging at the sweaty bodies touching her as she went. Finally, she makes it to the surprisingly quiet kitchen where she finds a fine selection of cheap beer and even cheaper vodka, plus a mixer of strawberry lemonade if you cared enough. She also spots Skara, talking with a group of 3 or four girls in the corner and decides to go greet her.

“Hey Skara!” she exclaims, giving a small wave as she walks up to the group noticing her. The girl turns and her expression changes to glee.

“Luz! You made it!” They give each other a quick hug. Skara is wearing a short, green princess dress made out of some velvet material as Luz notes the soft texture.

Releasing from the embrace, she continues, “How are you enjoying it so far?”

Luz rubs her neck “Eh, haven’t drank enough to dance yet, so I’m just hanging in the backyard with a few friends.”

Skara chuckles, looking over the sea of drunk toddlers, “yeah, this atmosphere isn’t for everyone.” She then gives a mischievous look, “but I do wanna see you dance. Knowing how you are at the cafe it could either be really good or really funny.”

“Hey!” The arth major says with faux-offense as she pours 3 cups of the lemonade before unscrewing a bottle of clear alcohol, “I’ll have you know that as a latina I was born to dance! I just-” she peers at her cup with a sheepish smile, “need some motivation”.

The music major snorts at the gesture, “Well I’ll be waiting for it. I gotta get back over to Boscha and the other girls before they start destroying the house. I’ll see you around!” And with that she gives one last wave before crawling through the mass of guests in the family room. The brunette returns the gesture before turning her attention back to her main objective.

Luz can be surprisingly coordinated when she put her mind to it, and she definitely needed her focus to carry three drinks across the same room Skara got sucked into a moment earlier. Picking up two of the cups, she balances the third between the others and holds them tentatively with her fingers. Completely focusing on not spilling, she immediately forgets to look up at what’s in front her. She turns around and takes a step before finding herself smacking into someone, both of them falling as well as the drinks.

Rubbing her head as she sits up, Luz looks to see who or what she hit. Her heart jumps into her throat when she realizes who it is.  
\----

Amity got to the party a bit later than Skara told her, mainly because she didn't want to be caught in their pregaming rituals which usually left one of them vomiting before the party even started. It was 9:30 now and the Blight saw it as the perfect time to sneak in, say your hellos, and sneak out again. She decided to wear a simple white turtleneck which she tucked into some black, paper bag pants, along with some thick combat boots. She had her makeup and hair like normal, not finding it necessary to redo if she wouldn’t be there for long.

When she gets there, she notices way more people than Skara promised her over text, knowing that to find the rugby girls meant she was going to have to meander through the crowds. She sighs as she gets to the door and quietly pushes it open only to be welcomed by blasting rap music and drunk frat bros chanting what they think are the lyrics. Quickly looking for an exit from the room, she spots the kitchen and notices only one other person there.

“Perfect.” she thinks as she makes her way over. She doesn’t really pay attention to the other party go-er, more focused on catching her breath and making herself a drink to at least get more in the spirit of the event. But, as soon as she makes her way to where the other person picks up their cup, she’s met with a shove and a cold splash on her top.

After the shock subsides, she pushes herself up into a sitting position, feeling her anger rising,

“Watch where you’re going, nitwi-” she finally looks at the other person, and her rage turns into a cold fury,

“Oh, it’s you.” she sees the brunette flinch at her tone, but she can’t even begin to feel remorse right now. The Blight realizes their unfortunate positioning, having her fallen on her butt while the other girl fell on top of her, saving herself with her arms on either side. The brown-haired girl quickly begins to shift up.

Luz reaches out to help the pale girl up, “Amity, I am so sorry I-”

“Are you?!” the barista cuts her off, pushing herself off the ground. She is definitely yelling, but the music practically drowns out anything coming from the kitchen.

“Because if you were, then maybe you would STOP DOING THIS!”

The greenette feels the tears of frustration coming out as she touches the wet spot on her shirt, her hand becoming sticky due to the sugary drink. She just wanted to have one night where she could relax and feel like a normal college student. She just wanted to forget about this girl standing in front of her and pretend that she has friends. But now, she just wants to leave, so that’s what she starts to do.

“Forget it, I shouldn’t have come here in the first place” she tightens her hands into fists to hold off from crying, at least until she’s out of the house. She hears her enemy call out to her but she can only hear the blood ringing in her ears. She almost makes it to the entrance but is stopped by someone walking in front of her.

Much to her relief, it’s Skara, with Boscha and Amelia in tow.

“Amity, my gosh what happened?!” the shorter girl looks over Amity’s pained face as well as the pink stain on her shirt. The Blight is too enraged to respond properly so she just looks at her with pleading eyes before dropping her head. Skara and Boscha share a look before they both give her a side hug and move her towards the stairs.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, Ames” the greenette hears from the rugby captain, noting the tinge of sympathy in the often-unsympathetic girl. She gives a small smile, at least happier now before following up the steps.  
\-----  
Luz, not really sure what to do now, quickly remakes the drinks and successfully lands outside in a stupor.

She really messed up. Like, REALLY messed up. If it were anyone else it would be a simple mistake, a party foul, and they’d both move on with their night. But of course, the one girl who is constantly on the receiving end of the brunette’s stupidity happened to be the one she hit. She sighs, finally making it over to the group of 4 who are laughing at something said by Jerbo.

“Hey, Luz,” Willow greets in between chuckles. Her laughs quickly die down when she sees the look on the girl’s face, “Luz, what happened?”

Viney, Jerbo, and Gus are now looking over at her and she tries to hide the disappointment in her visage.

“Hey guys! Uh, well, I ran into Amity!” She says with an unsure smile.

Willow raises an eyebrow, “And..?”

“Mhm!” the brunette responds with faux enthusiasm. She then watches the bio major’s face contour between confusion and then realization.

“When you say ‘ran into’-”

“Yep, I literally ran into her. With the drinks.” Luz purses her lips in a mix of guilt and anxiety, waiting for her friends to register what happened. Gus catches on first and starts laughing..

“Luz, no!” He says, placing his hands on his head in astonishment “We aren’t even at the cafe!”

She feels the guilt in her burning her cheeks red and she responds dejectedly, “I know, I know. At least I can say we are DEFINITELY getting banned from Hexbux, now..” She looks into her drink, “Maybe I should just go.”

She feels Viney pat her on the back, maybe with too much force but it was still comforting.

“Hey, c’mon,” the girl with the fish-hook earring looks at her in sympathy, “accidents happen and you tried to apologize right?

“Yeah but-”

“No buts. You tried to apologize and she didn’t listen, so instead of grovelling for some rando’s forgiveness, you are going to have a good time and forget your worries for a night.” She states indisputably, staring Luz in the eyes and wrapping her hands around her cup.

Luz takes a sip of the sweet yet burning concoction she made and winces. She wasn’t really paying attention to the measurements when she remade the drinks, it seems. Her two friends had similar reactions, but as the group struck up more conversation and more of her drink was downed, Luz found herself relaxing into the sway of the party.

Her face is a little warm now, but the rest of her body is starting to freeze as they stand outside for that next hour or so. The beat of the pounding house music lulls the brunette, in a way, starting to sway with the random song playing. She remembers Skara wanting to get a group to dance together, so before she can ask, she leaves her friends to head to the family room.

\------  
Amity is sat down on Amelia’s bed and the others silently get to work finding her a new outfit and redoing her eyeliner which was smudged from the almost-tears she held in earlier. They chuck a new shirt and pants combo at her. She puts it on in the bathroom before walking back into the room where the 3 others waited.

Skara can only clap when she sees their handiwork.

Although Boscha didn’t live here, she slept over from enough parties that she kept a bag of her own, often punk-related clothes in Amelia’s closet. Boscha was slightly taller than the Blight, but they otherwise were around the same sizes. Now, Amity wore a white t-shirt with pink trims around the sleeve, cut haphazardly into a crop top. She also replaced her pants, wearing tight, high-waisted skinny jeans with rips going up the length of her thigh. Skara redid her eyeliner with much thicker lines, making them look sharper and gave her some rose-tinted lip gloss. They leave her hair down and give her some black, dangly earrings.

“Oh my god, Ames” Boscha smirks playfully “didn’t think we could actually save you from how you looked down there.”

“Ha ha” the Blight responds sarcastically.

The whole makeover montage gave her time to calm down, and made her feel closer to the other girls with her. Considering they put in all the work, Amity decides to stay at the house with them, and hopefully avoid her enemy for the rest of the night. She checks herself out in the mirror.

“So,” Skara starts, “You ready to head back down?” She looks apprehensively at her, before smiling when Amity nods her head.  
\------------  
A lot more people have shown up since they were upstairs, Amity realizes, and breathes a sigh of relief as this means another run in with the cafe patron would be way less likely. As she reaches the bottom of the steps the girls disperse to different areas of the house, Skara leaving her with a promise of getting her something to drink. She turns around the stairs to find another sitting room, this one has a crowd surrounding a game of beer pong, but the other side just has a few groups and couples having tipsy conversation. This, she could do.

Skara drops a red solo cup (like the ones you see in movies) into the Blight’s hands before being waved over to the beer pong table. Amity just looks around the room, deciding to sit on the abandoned couch in the corner and let the effects of her drink wash over her before committing to socializing. About half an hour passes, and the girls cheeks begin to feel warm from the alcohol’s effects. In that time her friends came by for a chat or two, before the now-tipsy Boscha finally challenged her to a duel.

The mint-haired girl snorts into her drink, freshly filled by Skara as Amity was still nervous about being in the kitchen.

“Oh yeah? What kind?” she asks in amusement, only slightly regretting her tone when she sees the pink-haired girl get a competitive look on her face.

“Why, a drinking game, of course.” She gives a smug grin as she watches golden eyes calculate how good of an idea it is. Which it isn’t at all. But the prideful duo would run into traffic if it meant getting to say “I won, you lost” to the other.

Amity wasn’t a lightweight, but she also wasn’t known to know her limit, and the rugby captain was very good at making her realize this on past occasions. Although, she’s had a rough night, and her mood hasn’t been the greatest lately, so maybe she deserves a night of irresponsibility outside of the Blight parents’ eyes.

“Let’s do it.” Boscha’s smile grows wider at the reply. She calls Skara over to invite her and a few others into the competition.

“Alright, now who’s heard of the song Roxanne?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH this was hell to edit I changed what happens here like 10 times lol. I had to cut this chapter cuz its like over 10 pages in my google doc and I feel like my writing style makes it hard to stay coherent after like, 2,000 words. Next part is soon to follow- My ADHD brain just needed to post something so I remember to keep working on it!
> 
> I will say this anytime I mention alcohol or drinking: Just don't do it. I'm serious like it's not worth it. I don't hate parties or fun but it changes people in a way I can't forgive.  
> Also forgot that the TOH kids (except Viney and Jerbo) would be under aged in this haha whOOPS 
> 
> ANYWAYS thank you all sm for your support! I'll feed y'all some happier lumity next time around

**Author's Note:**

> Finally back with the first rewritten chapter! I have a few more lined up just waiting to be given a final edit but I hope you enjoy the start! It's amazing how often I've read this over and still don't know the quality of it lol but i'm enjoying the process. This story keeps getting longer and longer so I hope you're ready to strap in!
> 
> Always love receiving comments, critiques, and kudos! Also... if anyone wants to talk arth...im down (classicist who studied French art from the 15th-19th centuries)


End file.
